Keep Working to Preserve Public Financing and Ban Soft Money

Keep Working to Preserve Public Financing and Ban Soft Money

Article excerpt

The presidential campaign finance system is saved for now, but the battle to preserve it and ban soft money is just ahead.

On May 24, the Senate passed the Kerry Amendment, 56-44, to restore funding for the presidential campaign finance system under the Senate budget resolution. The amendment, introduced by Sen. John Kerry, (D-Mass.), turned back an attempt to abolish the most important post-Watergate reform: the system of spending limits and public financing for presidential campaigns. For two decades this system has worked well to limit spending and provide alternative "clean" public resources to presidential candidates.

Ten Republican Senators joined all 46 Democrats in supporting the Kerry Amendment, demonstrating important bipartisan support for preserving the presidential campaign finance system. Despite this important victory, the battle is not over. It is just beginning.

Opponents of the presidential campaign finance system have vowed to continue their efforts to kill the system. We must fight vigorously to ensure that this critically important reform survives any further repeal attempts. We in Common Cause also must continue working to shut down the soft money system, which threatens the integrity of presidential campaign financing by allowing corporations and special interests to launder huge contributions to the state political parties. Congress should pass legislation to ban soft money.

It is essential that your senators hear from you regarding the presidential campaign finance system.

RELATED ARTICLE: How They Voted

Here's how the senators voted on the Kerry Amendment to preserve the presidential campaign finance system on May 24, 1995: